Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-18
THE FOOL ROOM.

Little Xanhy was cripple. II was said
that he had started ont with fair pros
poets, physically, but that having, while
quite young. been hooked by a steer
kicked by an old family hOrse-the most
dangerous Of all CreatureS-and finally
run over by u wood wagon, he settled
down into an ordinary cripple, with one
leg that WAS much too short and with one
arm that was withere.i like wiltei polk
stalk. Little Ianby had. from his earliest
infancy, lived in cypress grove. where
every one was acquainted with the hum
of his industrious old mothers spinning
wheel The old woman knew that her
son was going Ia be a statesman Had he
been strong and able To work. she would
have doubtless indulged no such hope but
as ii was she seemed to think that states
manship was about all that was left for
him. The school teacher once had the ex-
treme hardihood 10 tell her that he did not
think it was Of much use to send the boy
TO school, adding that il was cruel TO tax
what little mind the child had The old
woman was putting fresh ''Shuck' on
the spindle of her wheel ai the time. She
| turned from her work, which was indeed
a remarkable attention for her TO bestow
on any one, looked AT the teacher from
! head To foot, and said;
Mr.. Scroggins, see that all the fools
amt dead yit.
| My dear madam
Don't dear madam me see how it
| is. You air all jealous o. Zanby. Oh.
! you neenter laugh, you great big luhberly
| good fur r-nothin' thing. This very mint
| you ought 10 be out in the woods splttin'
rails, stead o maxim your livin' by settin'
round a house Iou'll never he a states
man, Mr.. Scroggins, never while breath's
| in that good fur nothin' body % yOurn.
| Git outen my houSe-git!''
When the boy came home she took him
! into an inner chamber, a dark room
whittier she always went 10 pour ont her
| grief, and wept over him.
| About the time Xanby arrived ri the age
of IS years, II change came npon him.
Despite his infirmities, he had ever main
tained cheerfmlness that was the wonder
OF sound people, but he suddenly became
| gloomy. When some one spoke Ia his
mother with regard Ia il, she replied:
ITS puffeckly nachul You kain't eN-
| pect boy that's grin' To be- statesman
| 10 allus have the simple grins. .leS let
him alone, an he'll come out all right &"
iNs' p'AAtu filI
this mornin' | seed him settin' on the
| bank q the branch cryin' tit ter kill
| hisse'f"
What would You expect statesman
TO do, Allus giggle; Madam, you jis'
tend to yor- bus ness an III try ter
tend TO mine"
''Oh, it amt that l am tryin' to NEEDLE
with yore bus ness madam; it's because
q air all tnT tod in tirfla Ianl,r Wa
air all so uster seein' him in the sun that
it sorter posters lis ter see him in the
| shade. D."
Wall, that neent-r bother You none.
! That child is comm outen the kinks faster
than you ever seed a pusson. Wy, you
oughter hear him talk in his sleep. He
talks like preacher"
The old woman, though she treated the
matter lightly, was deeply troubled, and
| when little Ianby came home she studied
his face closely.
''Zanby, air Yer well, my chile" she
asked
"lesSum."
''As well as you wanter beS'
well eZ | ken be
''How sou
wy, rs Well rs a sore cripple ken be "
She had never before heard him speak
Of his affiction; she had never heard him
make remark so serious, and her chin
quivered as she gazed upon him.
81 wuZ fool all my life till the other
day" he said. Now Eve got some
sense, he added, after slight pause.
What have you learnt that's new,''
she asked
Learnt that I've allus been fool, I
tell you. I've been n sort q butterfly
but now I'm hornet"
She. looked AT him in astOnishment.
''Zauby, know now that you KANT help
bein' a statesman"
Statesman, the devil
"Mussyfnl heavens chile. you"-
That's all right, mother, " Zanby broke
in. I've hearn about that all my life,
and when WIZ a fool paid attention to-
il an lived on il, for was blind then, but
ken see now. know you air surprised 10
See that | amt no longer fool -
The old woman burst into tears. He put
his withered arm about her neck.
Thar" he said. don't cry thiser way.
!. You oughtsr be glad that amt no longer
sich fool, even if | don't laugh an try
ter dance"
She drie,. her eyes, and though sorrow
ing deeply, could not help hut admire the
new expression which the hitherto simple
boy had found
''Zanby." " she said tenderly holding his
withered arm, "ef ynre eyes air opened,
as you say, an IF you air 50 much smarter
than you usfer he, how ken you he bein'
a great man
Mother, you mustn't talk 10 me thater
way any more. My mind is iist as badly
crippled as my body an il amt nschul
that | ken ever amount to anything"
Her hopes of his coming greatness, and
her never ending talk of the time when lie
should be recognized a. IA leader con
stituted he only pleasure, and now, To
lie robbed 81 il, brought II fresh flow Of
tears.
''Thar, now, mother, don't cry. It's
better ter he miserable with some little
sense than ter he a fool an be happy"
But, my SON. said the old woman.
endcavorinS to he calm, ''you amt tbld
me what has brought about this terrible
change
"No, an | reckon I'd better keep it ter
myself. Ii KANT be he'ped-thar amt
no earthly cure for it.
But you mout tell yore pore ole
mother-'
Thar, now, don't cry. No, I don't
want ter 20 in thar"
She had made Il motion as though she
would draw him into the dark room. Il
don't want TO go in thar no more. It's
dark enough out here for me now
Don't speak slightin' o that room, my
chile. Yore father died in thar
''Ees, / know that, an | bleve I'd die
if l WIZ 10 go in thar now. KANT hep
You must furgive me-but KANT hep
but think o that as my fool ROOM
wy, Zanby''
Il know | oughtent ter say it, mother,
but l. kain't hep but think o ii that way.
1t was in thar fust heard o my comm